Welcome to the home page for SPOT -- Seismic
Petrophysics: Observation and Theory -- at Michigan Technological
University. SPOT refers to the people, the laboratory, the computers,
the publications, and the projects associated with Seismology,
Petrophysics, and their union: Seismic Petrophysics.

We specialize in the physics of seismic observations:
why it is that a set of rock properties will produce a certain
character of seismic response in reflection seismic observations,
and why it is that seismic events can be triggered by changes
in formation properties, such as fluid pressure. We also specialize
in outreach, using earthquake seismology to teach geology and
physics to students in middle and high school, and teaching college
students the principles of interpretation of integrated (geophysical,
geological, and engineering) data sets for reservoir characterization.

The SPOT efforts are led by Wayne D. Pennington,
Professor of Geophysical Engineering in the Department of Geological
Engineering and Sciences. The links on this and other pages can
take you to details of the personnel, their publications, the
laboratory, and to the projects underway by the SPOT group.

[The figure below shows the time structure
of a single horizon in the public-domain Stratton seismic data
set. The coloring draped over the time structure corresponds
to the amplitude of the reflection.]